The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for humidifying rice grains, particularly rice grains after polishing.
It is well known that rice grains are polished in a rice polishing machine which has a polishing cylinder having a perforated cylindrical wall and a polishing rotor. During the polishing, water contents are carried away from the rice grains due to generation of heat, with the result that the taste is impaired. Therefore, it has been a common practice to humidify the polished rice grains to a moderate level of moisture content. The humidification is practically conducted by placing the polished rice grains in a tank which is provided with a moistening device which can moisten polished rice grains at such a low rate that would not cause cracking of the rice grains due to quick absorption of water, e.g., about 0.2% per hour, taking a long time of 5 to 10 hours. The humidification of the polished rice grains is therefore an essential process which has to be effected on the polished rice grains, partly because of the drying of rice grains during the polishing and partly because of the tendency that the farmers furnish the reaped rice grains in an excessively dry condition to rice processing firms. The current/rice milling factories usually have a series of treating apparatus arranged in a line to attain a large treating capacity and a high treating efficiency. Unfortunately, however, the humidification process which requires 5 to 10 hours as described undesirably poses an impediment to the efficient uniform treatment work of the rice grains.